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Legacy of Ys Books I & II (DS) by jp (Apr 26th, 2026 at 10:06:39) |
I need to look up more info on this. I had assumed it was a bundle of the two first Ys games, but upon starting the first one (Book I), the 3D graphics make it seem like it's a newer game? So I'm really curious what the backstory here is...
It started out pretty frustrating - because I wandered into a field outside of town and died immediately. I had to start over which was a drag - lots of text to skip past, and died again! Sigh. I eventually figured out how to save your game, which helped. So, I decided to then book it, dodge enemies and made it to a city! Here I bought a sword and some armor...and figured I wouldn't die again immediately but I did! It turns out I hadn't figured out how to equip the items and that solved EVERYTHING.
I've been playing since, and the game's quite interesting in its camera perspective - it's a very unusual sort of 3D isometric view, but it's not at an angle, but rather it's sort of straight? (like vertical/top to bottom). It's a weird perspective because there's lots that gets occluded (if you walk down towards a wall, the wall blocks you from seeing what's close to it when you come from the top part of the scree). I mean, it makes sense spatially, but it's a weird perspective in a game - you also cannot rotate the camera AFAIK.
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Pokémon TCG Pocket (iPd) by jp (Apr 26th, 2026 at 09:59:12) |
I'm still "playing" - I stopped going for the competitive ladder mostly because I was playing the same deck all the time, didn't have the cards for a new competitive deck and...well, it's gotten a bit boring.
That being said, the collecting part is still fun and there's a new set coming out so we'll see how excited I get. I've been opening packs from older sets hoping to finish sets from which I'm still missing a bunch of cards. No real luck so far. Sigh.
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Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer (DS) by jp (Apr 26th, 2026 at 09:51:07) |
I've since played some 15 runs or so, I seem to get farther than ever on every other one or so. There's some cool and interesting things here, but also the randomness of the rogue aspects both works and doesn't. I've decided to stop playing mostly because it's getting a bit tiresome when you have to go over the same things such that it starts to feel like busywork. For example, talking to the guy at the bar in the first area always nets you a rice ball (yay!), but it's a bit of a drag to have to go through all the conversation and such over, and over again.
Perhaps the feature I've come to appreciate the most is a shack that has different "puzzle" levels for you to solve - you're supposed to do them one at a time (smart design choice, because you get a reward from each) and each time you do one you get reset to level 1 with no items, you also lose any progress you may have made (including items) inside each puzzle. But, you get a reward when you complete them successfully. The puzzle levels are smart because they act as a tutorial of sorts, but because you only really want to do them one at a time, it's a slow burn tutorial that shows you the diversity of items and what they can do. I've done 12 or so...with more than half left to go. Some might require using a certain staff, or require you move around diagonally. Stuff like that. So, I've had to use items I hadn't considered before (I tend to be a cheapskate when it comes to items, use only in emergencies!) and now I know how they work without having to "waste" them while adventuring.
Once unlocked, companions might appear in later areas - and join your team! I made some progress with a 2nd one (I wonder if you can have more than one?) and I think it's neat how they operate semi-independently. They'll sometimes run off chasing a monster. I haven't quite grasped how their health works because they'll sometimes disappear (dead?) and I lose them for the rest of the adventure which is a bit of a shame.
In all, it's been fun to explore and playthrough. Runs are longer than I'd like and how that I unlocked the special jar that lets you combine items...I REALLY get the feeling that the game wants you to meta-strategize to cheese. In other words, play lots of runs to boost items to then combine them, and do this over and over again until you feel confident you can go. Which is interesting, and risky.
Finally, at this point I'm also missing out on a neat feature wherein other players can "rescue" you if/when you die. But it's a connectivity thing - other people need to play and you can help each other out that way. At this point, since the game is way old, it's like there's zero change of that working for me... which makes me a bit sad, right? I mean, playing this with some friends would be really neat in that context.
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Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer (DS) by jp (Apr 19th, 2026 at 15:10:00) |
It seems strange to note how this game is pretty old, but it's a rogue-like, and it was old, and series, even before the semi-recent rise in popularity of rogue-like games.
It's hard, and you have to start over, and you can't really be careless (I've died in the first area), but there are some systems in place that seem to work as a meta-progression of sorts?
For example, there's a woman I ran into who made me blind! She did it again! (on a different run), and on a 3rd run she was in a town being accosted by some NPCs (angry because she's been blinding them). So, I stepped in, and she joined my party! I have no idea what'll happen next, because I got pretty far and then died - and when I came back she was gone! Do I need to get blinded three times again? Will she show up and join in the village later? I have no idea!
It also seems like I should be "cheesing" some parts? So, there's a storage system where you can leave items behind. When you die you lose everything you were carrying, so it's a way to leave stuff for "future you" - but you can also run backwards! (to previous areas) Oh, and you can also - if you get the cash, upgrade items at a smithy! So, I could do a run, upgrade an item, then run back, drop it off for future me, do the same, upgrade, run back, etc. The thought makes me kind of tired to think about it, but doable? There's always the risk you'll die and lose everything of course!
So far I'm having fun, but we'll see how long my patience lasts...
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Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth (PS5) by dkirschner (Apr 13th, 2026 at 09:37:34) |
Just a quick mid-point update for this one. Or, at least I think I'm around midpoint (40 hours, chapter 7, Costa del Sol). I forgot to add this a month ago when I began.
FF VII Rebirth improves on Remake in every way. It's bigger, funnier, more polished, has better pacing, and has way more systems. It even has a charming kind of open world (initially to my chagrin, as I had just come off an open-world game and chose this specifically because I thought it wasn't open-world).
Remake irritated me a bit because a lot of the new story, deeper character exploration, and overly long dungeons felt like padding. I don't find that here. All the main quest beats have been interesting so far, streamlined--no slogging it through the sewers this time. I suppose you could say that the open world is padding, but Ubisoft this is not. There are standard tasks and challenges in each of the game's zones, but this is carefully designed such that everything provides a reward and works toward something greater, namely, Chadley's research. But, this is how you level up your party more, get summons, find recipes, discover rare shops and items, and so on, and it is a joy to explore the world.
The side quests are also FAR more interesting and usually multi-step. I am doing one right now where Yuffie accidentally cloned an NPC in Costa del Sol. The NPC is this surfer dude bro who bought an old inn and is renovating it. So there are all these "bros" who recognize that they are bro-clones and are gathering supplies to improve the inn. You find some items for them (which involves finding and getting to the tops of ziplines), clear out some monsters, then find a unique recipe to craft a part they need. The NPC clones are funny and their asks are varied. Another one I recently did involves one of the many great mini-games, challenging gym rats to a sit-up competition (after clearing out some monsters for them). I have yet to beat the hardest sit-up challenge. It's 90 seconds of repeating a button pattern with increasing speed and precision, and I haven't made it to 30 seconds before messing up. It seems like you have to do it perfectly to win on hard.
I am finding Rebirth to be so CHARMING. It's funny. It's quirky. I am smiling a lot while playing. OH, and there is a card game, which is strategic and fun. Final Fantasy card games are always solid.
The only thing I dislike is how complicated the combat is. I have six characters right now (three in a party), each with a different play style and unique moves. Cloud is a melee fighter and can switch stances from "regular" to a slow and powerful one. Barrett is a ranged fighter and has an overcharge ability that builds up. Aerith has "wards" she can cast on the ground that give different buffs, as well as a little familiar she can summon. Etc., etc. Then, of course, they have weapon abilities and all the spells from materia. And there are like partner abilities (synergies). Skill trees. Blocking and countering mechanics. Air and ground combat. Summoning. Limit breaks. Special synergy abilities. And you can manually use each characters' abilities and control any of them, too. It's too much for me to keep track of! Combat is fun, but feels chaotic.
That's it for now. Looking forward to seeing where the story takes me, remembering nostalgic bits, and continuing to learn the combat.
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they are currently playing. A GameLog is basically a record of a game you started playing. If it's open,
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if you got bored, frustrated,etc.) You can also attach short comments to each of your games or even maintain a diary (with more detailed entries)
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2323 registered gamers and 3356 games. 7893 GameLogs with 13384 journal entries. 5128 games are currently being played.
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Super Mario 64 (N64) by Cintita |
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most recent entry: Thursday 21 February, 2008
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GAME LOG ENTRY #2
GAMEPLAY
Playing Mario 64 was entertaining in the way that I was able to go into different levels like the Snow level and was able to do many things. I had choices, and I like having options in games that I can't pass. :) In that game you can race a penguin, collect 8 coins, or even take a baby penguin to the mama penguin for a star. The level has so many options/levels to complete, the game itself does keep you busy. There was a point in one level where I did feel a bit frustrated and left that specific level, but because there are other levels that you can enter that are to the same or lower status, it doesn't bore me, or hasn't yet.
The characters in the game are interesting. Their actions are all very repetetive. All the actions of the characters except Mario's are predictable which can be used to my advantage but in the end, ends up being a bit easy or boring. It is a bit interesting how if I were to go in front of them, they don't acknowledge that Mario is there but acknowledge something is obstructing their path.
DESIGN.
Although I do believe that games should have their limits in area of play, I find it harsh to realize that when being outside on the grass, you cannot do much but jump off or climb on a tree and swim in the water. I guess it hints at the real levels being inside the castle, in a chamber, locked inside, making it more dramatic. I would find it frustrating when I would need to dive and I would be put with a time limit of being underwater, sure it does give me a realistic approach to swimming, but if you are going to make a video game with giant clams with glowing stars in the middle, might as well make the time limit infinite for diving underwater, or include a level that is time limit free.
Some interaction between characters and Mario include the "boss fights" and whenever cannons need to be prepared, a nice little guy beeps his way to prepare it. The game has vibrant colors, the mus ic is uplifting, all in all, Mario 64 is a very entertaining and fun game that hints a classic with the basic things that everyone looks for in a video game: challenge, options, skill requirement, strategy.
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